War and struggle in Germany

This sequence of slides looks at revolutionary German history from 1914-1934, focusing particularly on the period between 1918-1924. It contains images of key individuals (including Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg) and events (including opposition to the First World War, the Spartakusbund (Spartacus League) rising, and the Red Army in Germany during the early 1920s). It concludes with images of Nazis and Nazism. Henry Sara's archive collection includes some of the photographs used to produce these slides [document reference: MSS.15B/6/4], possibly purchased during his visit to Germany in 1924.

Captions have been produced using Henry Sara's notes for this talk and captions on the reverse of the photographs.

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Title slide: War and Struggle in Germany

Title slide: War and Struggle in Germany

Title slide: War and Struggle in Germany

Karl Marx

Ferdinand Lassalle

August Babel

Edward Bernstein and Karl Kautsky

Eduard David and Philipp Scheidemann

Declaration of war situation, 31 July 1914

War prayer outside the Reichstag, 2 August 1914

'The workers have no fatherland!'

The Kaiser, Generals and Social Democrats mix

Contrast of Houses lived in by officers and those of soldiers

Behind the lines - and further behind the lines

Transport of soldiers and of generals

Behind the lines - first treatment at the sand dunes

'You are the apple of my eye'  after the days work

Damage by the fire

Wilhelm Liebknecht - imprisoned 1871 for opposing war with France

Karl Liebknecht as a young man

Karl Liebknecht as a young man

Rosa Luxemburg: Polish prisoner

Leo Jogiches: young

Franz Mehring

Clara Zetkin

Karl Liebknecht attending court for trial

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Karl Liebknecht as labour pioneer

Signatures at Zimmerwald Conference, 1915

Prison of Karl Liebknecht at Lindau

Imprisonment of Rosa Luxemburg and Clara Zetkin  Social Democrats at Headquarters

Publication of 'Spartacus' Letters

Place of publication and printing

The Spartacus rising

Surrender of the barracks of the 'Life Guard Ulans' to the Workers and Soldiers Council: banner - 'Brother do not shoot!'

Spartacus demonstration

Karl Liebknecht speaking in the Tiergarten, Siegessäule

Karl Liebknecht speaking in the Tiergarten, Siegessäule

'The Red Soldier' ('Der Rote Soldat') advertised

Demonstration of Spartacus supporters before the Berlin army museum, 8 December 1918

Police Headquarters in Berlin damaged by attack

Barracks of the 'Life Guard pioneers' in Berlin after the attack of revolutionary forces, 7 January 1919

'Forward' offices damaged, Berlin

Barricade of old copies of 'Forward' for Spartacus fighters

Demonstration with Karl Liebknecht as speaker

Karl Liebknecht speaking in front of the German Imperial Palace, Berlin, 5 November 1918

Hotel Eden, Berlin, 1919

Hotel Eden, Berlin, 1919

Outskirts of Berlin, where Karl Liebknecht was murdered

Karl Liebknecht in the mortuary

Karl Liebknecht: lying in state

Funeral of Karl Liebknecht

Rosa Luxemburg

Canal Bridge over which was thrown the body of Rosa Luxemburg

Banner showing Rosa Luxemburg portrait being carried in later years

Graves of both German socialist leaders

Leo Jogiches' death and funeral

Eugen Levine in the Munich Soviet

Ernst Toller who likewise participated in the Munich Soviet

Friedrich Ebert

Troops occupy the Reichstag, 13 January 1920

Berlin, March 1920: Troops with cannon

April 1920

April 1920

Brandenburg Gate, Berlin

Westphalian Red Army

Red Army in Westphalia and Rhineland after reactionary plot of Kapp

April 1920 in Saxony

The resumption of railway service after strike in Berlin, April 1920. Spartacist 'troops' in Westphalian town before leaving for the front.

Ebert and Seeckt at a parade. Seeckt reactionary general. Stinnes and Ebert 'his most reliable manager' 'We shouldnt disturb him at his work. The Socialists might praise him as one of their greatest.'

March 1921: a demonstrator is arrested

April 1921

Arthur Crispien and Otto Wels, 1922

Anti-fascist demonstration, Berlin, 1 May 1923

Anti-fascist demonstration in the Lustgarten, Berlin, August 1923

September 1923: How Fascists drilled on outskirts in early hours

Propagandist in the army (in army for 3 years). Found posting up notices in streets. Shot 3 May 1924. Name: Koennike.